KP CM Sohail Afridi arrives in Karachi as Bilawal directs Sindh govt to allow PTI rally

KARACHI: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi arrived in Karachi on Friday on a four-day visit as part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) street mobilisation campaign.

Sindh Minister for Labour, Human Resources and Social Protection Saeed Ghani welcomed the KP chief minister at Karachi airport on the directives of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

During the reception, Saeed Ghani presented the visiting dignitary and his accompanying delegation with traditional Sindhi caps and ajraks.

PTI leaders Haleem Adil Sheikh, Raja Azhar, and other party representatives were also present at the airport to receive the KP chief minister. Sohail Afridi was accompanied by Meena Khan Afridi, Shafiullah Jan, and other officials.

The KP chief minister departed from the airport in a rally and was scheduled to reach Insaf House later in the day.

Saeed Ghani said the Sindh government welcomed the KP chief minister to the province and assured him that he was free to carry out all political activities.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also directed the provincial government to allow PTI to hold political rallies in Sindh.

During his visit, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi will meet Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on January 12. He is also scheduled to visit the Sindh High Court Bar Association on the same day.

The KP chief minister will hold meetings with the All Karachi Traders Alliance and visit the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) centre, where he will meet party leaders.

Sohail Afridi will visit Hyderabad on January 10 as part of his Sindh engagements.

Earlier, Sindh Minister for Local Government Nasir Hussain Shah said that the provincial government has granted permission to PTI to hold a public rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah in Karachi, ARY News reported.

Speaking in the ARY News programme Off The Record, the minister said that the provincial government would welcome PTI leaders in Sindh and allow them to carry out political activities, including public gatherings. He added that no political party’s peaceful struggle could be stopped, provided it remained within the law.

Nasir Hussain Shah said that discussions were ongoing with PTI leadership regarding the rally and clarified that there was no ban on holding public meetings in Karachi. He added that PTI had also submitted requests to hold rallies in Korangi and South districts.